


One More

by persephone_stone



Series: Best Laid Plans [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-16
Updated: 2020-07-16
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:54:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25319392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/persephone_stone/pseuds/persephone_stone
Summary: The gang is back together for a party to celebrate the newest Nott!Part Three of BEST LAID PLANS
Relationships: Daphne Greengrass/Harry Potter, Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy, Luna Lovegood/Ron Weasley, Neville Longbottom/Pansy Parkinson, Theodore Nott/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Best Laid Plans [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1746049
Comments: 20
Kudos: 123





	One More

**Author's Note:**

> This is just a bit of totally indulgent, unbeta-d fluff in celebration of hitting the 500 kudo mark on Best Laid Plans. Thank you all for your support of and love for that story - it really means so much to me!

Draco Malfoy didn’t care what anyone said: The Dark Lord had _nothing_ on a three-year-old child. Especially the three-year-old offspring of Hermione Granger-Malfoy.

“Please, Athena,” he begged, trying his best not to quake in fear at the look on his daughter’s deceptively cherubic face. “We have to brush your teeth so we’re not late to the party. Now open up.”

He raised the toothbrush—blue to match her older brother Leo’s, because there was no such thing as a girl color or a boy color, according to Hermione _and_ Leo _and_ Athena—and was met with defiance.

“I want to brush my teef!” Athena pouted, jutting out her chin at a particularly stubborn angle. Aside from the platinum blonde of her hair, she was the mirror image of her mother... _especially_ in this particular moment.

Draco inhaled deeply, calling on every ounce of his patience to avoid burying his head in his hands and weeping. “You can brush them, but Daddy has to do it first so they’re nice and clean.”

Athena leveled a mutinous glance in his direction, crossing her arms for good measure. “No!”

He squeezed his eyes shut, hoping that when he opened them again his lovely, strong-willed daughter would have had a change of heart.

He cracked one eye open.

No such luck.

He was saved from this unwinnable battle of wills by his six-year-old son bounding into the bathroom.

“Open up, silly!” Leo said, tugging gently at one of Athena’s curls and making her giggle. She turned back to her father, narrowing her eyes but finally opening her mouth.

With that Herculean task accomplished, the three Malfoys descended the stairs of their London home, gathering at the Floo.

“Where’s Mummy?” Athena asked, both arms wrapped around Draco’s leg, their previous skirmish all but forgotten.

“Here I am!” Hermione’s voice called. She appeared around the corner, beaded bag (now full of nappies and snacks instead of books and horcruxes) looped around her wrist and the youngest Malfoy—little one-year-old Penelope Narcissa—bouncing happily on her hip.

“Ready, my loves?” Hermione asked, patting Leo and Athena on their golden heads and then stepping into Draco to press a kiss to his lips.

“Yuck,” Leo protested, but he was grinning when Draco tweaked his nose. Penelope gurgled happily, reaching both chubby fists out toward her father, who lifted her into his arms with a grin.

“Here’s my baby! Hello, sweet Pen,” he cooed, nuzzling her blonde curls. With one daughter in his arms and the other still securely anchored to his leg, Draco reached for the bowl of Floo powder on the mantle. “Ready, loves?” he asked, glancing at Hermione and Leo and offering his arm to his wife. She took Leo’s hand in hers, nodding.

Arm in arm, they all stepped through the Floo to Nott Manor.

Everyone was gathered at Theo and Valentina’s grand estate that morning to celebrate the christening of their second daughter, born five months earlier.

Sophia Theodora Nott, named after her father—at her mother’s insistence—was currently being passed back and forth between her godparents, Neville and Pansy. With three daughters of their own and one more on the way, the Longbottoms knew a thing or two about raising little girls.

The Longbottom girls—Hazel, Maggie, and Bryony—shrieked happily as they played with the Potter twins in the large sitting room, where everyone had congregated for the party. Val had transformed it into a winter wonderland: charmed snowflakes falling from the ceiling, ice castles glittering in front of the windows, enchanted fir trees lining the walls. A fire roared in the two-story fireplace, warming the children against the January chill.

Theo and Val’s older daughter, Margo, tackled Athena as soon as the Malfoys arrived, dragging her off to play with the others.

Harry and Daphne came over to greet Draco and Hermione, cooing over Penelope and commiserating on the special hell that was life with a three year old girl.

“And we’ve got two of them, mate,” Harry groaned to Draco. “Two. At the _same time_.”

The Floo flared to life behind them. Turning, they were greeted by a whoop and a flash of red hair as Apollo Weasley charged into Leo, his oldest and best friend. The two boys tumbled onto the floor, rolling about like savages. Juno and Diana followed closely behind their brother, Diana aiming a well-placed kick at Apollo that earned her stern looks from her parents, Ron and Luna.

“It appears all our children are feral, friends,” Theo called, floating an ice bucket of champagne for the adults and a large carafe of hot chocolate for the children behind him down the hall. “Except you, my darling,” he said to Sophia, who squirmed and drooled in response.

Val was close behind him, using her wand to send a few more fairy lights around the room before reaching for her daughter. “Come, _mija_ ,” she murmured, kissing the top of Sophia’s downy soft head as Pansy handed her over.

Theo allowed the drinks to come to rest on one of the long banquet tables set up in the room, then moved to stand next to his wife. Val called Margo over to them, and Theo swung her up on his shoulders, squeezing her knees until she giggled and then wrapping one arm around Val’s waist.

The rest of the family of friends stood together, children in their arms and at their feet. As he often did, Draco marveled at his life—how different it had turned out than he once thought, how lucky he was to have his wife, three healthy children, and this group of mad, wonderful friends whom he couldn’t imagine living without.

Val was thanking everyone for coming, inviting them to help themselves to as much food and drinks as they could stand, letting the children know that soon their Uncle Charlie Weasley would be arriving with a few creatures for them to feed and pet—but Draco was distracted by the feel of his baby daughter falling asleep on his chest. Her soft breaths puffed against his skin and—judging from the wet fabric against his collarbone—her drool had soaked into his clothing. He could not imagine a better feeling.

Smoothing her curls, he stepped back to sink down onto one of the many couches in the room, shifting until he was sure she would be comfortable. The room was in motion again—children rushing the hot chocolate dispenser, adults rushing the champagne bottles—but one person remained still, watching him.

Hermione.

She walked over, sitting down next to him and snuggling close, confident that their friends would watch their other children for a few moments.

“I love you,” she whispered, threading her fingers through his.

“I love you, too,” he whispered back.

Soon they were joined by a hot chocolate-moustached Leo and a sleepy Athena. They sat together, enjoying the company of one another and their friends, as the charmed snow fell around them.

“Hey, Mum? Dad?” Leo’s voice asked softly.

“Yes, Leo?”

“Athena and I have been talking,” his voice was earnest, sweet. “We love Penelope, but...can we have a little brother, too?”

**Author's Note:**

> Spoiler Alert: There WILL be an additional Malfoy. Whether Leo and Athena get their wish remains to be seen...
> 
> Come find me on [Tumblr!](https://persephonestone.tumblr.com/)


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